No Lies, please
by karinzala
Summary: Just like the title, Karin Zala wants the truth about her past, one which is strongly guarded by Lacus, her guardian, since her parents are dead. Her truth slowly unfolds before her, after a meeting with her parent's old friend... AU. Pls r&r!
1. Karin

Chapter 1 – Karin

Hi. My name is Karin Zala and I am 13 years old. I am a Natural but I belong to ZAFT. I am an orphan as my parents were killed when I was 5, 9 years ago. Now, I live with my aunt and my uncle, Lacus and Kira, and my cousins, their children, Keisuke and Sakura.

The only memory I have of my parents is their names, Cagalli Yula Attha and Athrun Zala, and a little of their past They both belong to different countries and held very high positions there. They were killed in a bombing at the Orb headquarters which killed not only them, but my little brother Leon as well. Their bodies were never found but it was obvious that they did not survive the bombing.

Lacus, my guardian, gives me some information on my parents, their life when they were teens, but all those info was never enough for me to piece my broken past together. I hardly ever see Kira, her husband, and Lacus tells me that he doesn't like looking at me as I remind him too much about his twin sister, my mother, and my eyes are too much like his best friend's, my father's. Every time he looks at me he will start to cry, or he will turn away. That's why I hardly even see him.

I have learning problems. All the way through curriculum school I survived due to my English, as I have problems with the other subjects and barely even pass them. Pie charts make my head spin, and so does the periodic table, graphs, algebra, fractions… I just can't take it all in. The only thing that I do well in at school is my oral and my essay writing. That made me survive my way through the junior level. But somehow when I got into the elementary level, my English was no biggie. By failing my other subjects, I was unable to be promoted to the next year. Thus, when I was 11 and had to repeat the first year, the headmaster sent Lacus and Kira a letter, asking me to be transferred to the military school. Kira agreed, while Lacus denied and said that I would have a hard time coping. She fought for me to stay in curriculum school, but sad to say, she lost.

When I was 12 I was transferred to the military school. I met my first friend there, Tai Seiran, who was a year older than I was. He was entrusted with the responsibility of being my guide during my first week there so that I would not get lost in the big ZAFT headquarters. The commanders there teaching us realized my potential in piloting, and at 13 I was given my first Gundam, the new version f my mother's old Akatsuki. Being the youngest pilot in the history of ZAFT, Lacus first disagreed but I told her that I would be fun. In real battles I was not allowed to leave the ZAFT HQ shield. In short, I was just given the task of protecting the HQ just in case there were enemies who somehow managed to bypass the shield. My job was simple, easy and of course the enemies didn't bypass the shield, and I was safe.

Right now, the only goal on my mind is to find out how my parent's died, why and who bombed them, and the reason to why I wasn't with my parents when my brother was. I hope that I'll be able to find out tomorrow… my 14th birthday.


	2. Birthday

Please review, people! I really put on a lotta hard work into this thingy... yah. Please read and review. :)

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Chapter 2 – Birthday 

Karin's POV

I woke up, feeling giddy and weird. It was my birthday and it seemed so… so… unreal. There was no Lacus bending over me with a cake on hand, or Kei with a big smile on his face wishing me happy birthday like he always does. There was no-one and the reason to that was I was at my little room in the ZAFT head quarters, as I was officially a soldier when I got the Akatsuki and the rank of Crewman.

Crewman Zala. That really sounds weird.

I heard a beep and turned to my phone on the table. There was a message. From Tai.

"Hey, Karin. Just wanna say a happy birthday to my 'little sister' and… yah. Oh yah… come meet me at the canteen at the table right at the corner, nearest to the hangars… yah. I wanna give you something. Be there by 8am, ok? Don't be late!"

I stared at my clock. It was 7.45am. I've got 15 mins only… WHAT? 15MINS ONLY!

Normal POV

Karin rushed into the bathroom and took a quick shower. She then rushed out and put on her horrid green ZAFT uniform. She gagged at herself in the mirror before swearing to get a promotion – quickly, so that she could the nicer red uniform.

She was about to pull on the conservative green pencil skirt but she decided no to. To hell with Commander Asuka when he gives her a freaking lecture on wearing the ZAFT uniform properly. She pulled on a green nearly miniskirt (her old curriculum school one) that was an inch and a half above the knee, combed her blonde hair and rushed out to the breakfast hall.

When she reached the hall, she noticed that it was 8.02am. She was late. She spotted Tai in the corner, staring at his watch and ran up to him.

"Tai!"

"Hey, girl!" Tai jumped up and pulled out a chair for her. Karin sat down, and both of them blushed, looking into each other's eyes.

Tai had his shoulder-length black hair combed nicely, his blue eyes shone when he saw her. He looked nothing like his parents, Yuuna Roma Seylan and Meer Campbell (A/N: Stupid I know but they're cursed to be with each other), let alone act like them. He was a kind hearted person, very unlike his parents, who were money and attention hungry. He reached into the pocket of his trousers and handed something- a box to Karin.

"What's this?" Karin eyed the box with curiosity. It looked expensive. It was quite big, about 15 by 15cm or so.

"Open it," Tai put his hands on the table and rested on them. He smiled as Karin opened the box cautiously, and peered inside. Sitting in a nest of foam was a small glass bear, small and precious- looking. It was a note holder, and in the bear's tiny paws was a small note.

_Karin. Tai here and I'd just like to wish you a very happy birthday. Hope you treasure this belt just like the way I treasure you as my best friend… good luck in trying to find out about your truth… maybe today some dude will come up and be willing to tell you the whole of your life story… haha! I wish we can be really close so…_

"So what?" Karin eyed the boy. Tai took her hands and looked into her eyes.

"Karin, I really like you… more than a friend to tell you the truth… so I was thinking… maybe you could…" Tai's face resembled a tomato as he looked down onto the table. He shook his head violently and loot was a photo frame with a picture of herself, Izumi and their childhood friend, commander Asuka's eldest daughter, Wendy. It wasend. Then she understood. She pulled his hands and held them in hers.

"You know what? I really like you too. And yes, my dear _boyfriend_, I would be pleased to be your girlfriend," Karin giggled. "But, if you really love me, you wouldn't let me starve, right?"

Tai stared at Karin, trying to make out her massage. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Oh! Sorry, Karin!" He got up and rushed to one of the numerous stalls. Karin just laughed softly at the sight. She didn't notice her childhood friend, Izumi Joule, the daughter of Chairman Joule (yesss, Yzak is Chairman!).

"Happy birthday, Zala," Izumi put her arms around Karin. Karin jumped in surprise.

Izumi wasn't in military school. She was in curriculum school, and was the top student there. She was pretty, smart, athletic. Every guy sane would want to die for her. She had silver coloured hair, the same colour as her dad's, and her eyes were a special blend of yellow and gold. Sometimes Karin wondered if God had spent extra time creating her. But of course not. Of course Izumi Joule wasn't perfect. Give her a Gundam and she has no idea what to do with it. Dump her in a battlefield in the best Gundam in the world and see her get blown in pieces in a blink of an eye.

"Izumi? What are you doing here?" Karin stared at a pink box that Izumi had pushed into her hands.

"It's a present, girl. It's your birthday, right?" Izumi put her hands on her hips and smiled at Karin. She frowned at the skirt Karin was wearing. It was her old curriculum school skirt, the one she herself was wearing.

"Zala, my dad's gonna rip you into shreds if he sees you like this. If you forgot, I am the daughter of the chairman, you know," Izumi loved being the daughter of the chairman, it always gave her a chance to taunt others, others below her, like Karin, for example. And her habit of calling others by their surname was from her dad. She always thought that her being the chairman's daughter meant that she had a high rank compared to the other people of ZAFT. It was quite true, of course, according to her dad. Basically, her dad had influenced her a lot, due to her mother's death that happened when she was 2 years old. She was raised by her father and a lot of nurses as well as her grandmother.

Karin frowned at what Izumi had given her. It was a photo frame with a picture of herself, Izumi and their childhood friend, commander Asuka's eldest daughter, Wendy. It was a picture taken around 3 years ago, when they got into elementary level.

"Izumi, thanks but do you know that I hate all these stupid memories of my being in curriculum school?" Karin put the photo frame delicately into its original casing.

Izumi grinned. "Just to piss you off, girl. Oh ya. Wendy asked me to pass you this. She asks you to open when you are at home, ok?"

Karin nodded, and accepted the box. "Thanks, Joule," Karin then frowned, staring at Izumi. "Why are you here? I thought you're supposed to be at school?" That comment changed the look on the face of the chairman-to-be.

"Fuck. Gotta go. Bye Zala!" Izumi, influenced by her dad, had a sucker for vulgarities. She picked up her bag and ran off.

Tai came over, carrying two trays. "Was that Izumi?"

"Yup," Karin got up and took a tray from him. "She gave me this." Karin showed Tai the photo Izumi had given earlier.

"That's Wendy Asuka, right?" Tai pointed at the blonde girl standing next to Izumi.

"Yup." Karin took a sip out of her coffee. "She's got her mum's hair and her dad's eyes. A great combination!" She grinned at the picture before attacking the pancakes. (A/N: Wendy's mum is Stellar! Wheeeeeee!)

Tai took a sip of his coffee and gagged. "Whoever who made this must be controlling their sugar levels!" He glared at the cafeteria women, but they didn't seem to notice him at all. Karin giggled, and glanced at her watch.

"Um, Tai. I think we'd better go. It's nearly nine," She bit her lip and stared at her skirt, feeling a little bit scared, for Commander Asuka was damnned strict about the rules. She shook her head to loosen up, and stuffed the last bit of pancake into her mouth. "I'm done. Let's go," She pulled her boyfriend's hand and dragged him out of the canteen.

Karin slumped on her bed the second she reached it. _Damnned that training_. She cursed Commander Asuka under her breath about not lessening the training load on her birthday. She seized her handphone from the bedside table and checked her messages. There was one from Lacus. It was short, sweet and motherly.

_Happy Birthday Karin! Now that you are a year older, you must learn to be a year mature, okay hun? Sorry we can't drag you out of training for your birthday dinner so we decided to postpone it to Saturday. Kira and I will fetch you at the foyer, at 2pm sharp. Be there! Love, Lacus._

Karin knew that the 'we' was just Lacus. Kira hated her guts for looking like her parents. _The soft freak. Can't even look at me in the eye. What the fuck? Can't blame me for looking like my parents, right? Weak. Just accept the fact that your best friend and twin are freaking **dead**. Moron. _Karin smiled at her thoughts. She loved cursing her uncle. She tossed her phone on her pillow and started playing a game of Ultimate Maze. Just as she got into the fifth level the doorbell shrilled.

"Damnned whoever that's there. I've never gotten to the fifth level before," Karin saved the game before answering the door.

Still staring at her handphone, she pulled open the door. "Karin Zala here. May I help…?" She looked up at the man. He was wearing black. As in, everything he wore was black. Like Zorro or something. Black shirt, black pants, black jacket, black hat, black mask… Black mask? She raised her eyebrows.

"Erm… who are you?" Karin asked, her eyebrows still raised.

The man smiled at her. "That doesn't matter. All that matters is what I've got to show you," He walked casually into her room, as though it was his own.

"Hey! No-one invited you in!" Karin stood in front of him, her arms thrown out to her sides. She felt kind of angry at the fact that the man had been so rude, just walking in into other people's houses just like that.

The man still kept on smiling at her. "Just like your mother, aren't you?" Karin blinked and put down her hands.

"My mother?" She asked. "What do you know about her!"

The man turned around, obviously wanting to leave.

"Hey! You're not going anywhere until you tell me what the heck you know about my mother!" She ran up in front of the man and put her arms out again, to stop him from going off.

"I thought you wanted me to leave?" The man still smiled at her, as she glared at him. "Well, anyway I've got no intention of leaving either until I get this off my chest," The man reached out into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a box, about slightly bigger than a piece of A5 sized paper. He then handed it to Karin. "Your parents left you this."

Karin took the box and examined it from every angle. She saw a small lock, those combination ones. But it wasn't a numerical lock. This certain lock had alphabets instead. "How do I open it?" She looked up at the man with a look of total confusion.

"I don't know the password. Only you do. Before your mother died she told me to give this to you if she ever died… which she did. She told me that she would tell you the password, so only you would know,"

_Mum told me a password?_

_**Flashback**_

"_Mummy, please take me with you!" A five-year-old Karin pulled at Cagalli's jeans, crying._

"_I can't, Karin. I'm so sorry," Cagalli picked up her daughter and hugged her, as Athrun went up to her. Karin, seeing her father, reached out her arms to him._

"_Daddy I wanna go with you and mummy!" Cagalli passed her to Athrun as she took a little boy from Lacus' arms, who was crying and pulling Lacus' hair._

"_Sorry, Karrie, but mummy and daddy has got something really important to do at The Big Building. So we'll leave you with aunty Lacus and uncle Kira, okay?" Athrun gave his daughter a big hug. The last hug he was ever going to give her._

_Karin wiped her teas with her sleeve and stepped back to Lacus. Cagalli tapped Athrun's shoulder as the little boy she was carrying pulled her hair and cried louder. "We have to bring Leon along, there's no choice! If we leave him with Lacus then…"_

"_Fine. But Karin…?" Athrun's gaze turned to his five-year-old._

"_Karin will be fine with Lacus and Kira. After all it's only for a few hours," _

_Karin looked up at her parents. _It's not fair! Why are they bringing Leon along? Why not me? What's wrong with me? Is it because I'm a natural and he's a coordinator they prefer him to me? _Her tears fell once more. Cagalli saw this and shoved Leon into Athrun's arms and went to her little daughter._

"_Karin, I love you, okay? And daddy too. But aunty Lacus can't take care of both of you as well as her own children and the orphans. So Leon has to come with us. But tomorrow, I promise that we'll ride the ferris wheel at the funfair, okay?" Cagalli bent down and hugged her eldest child._

_Karin wiped her tears with the back of her hand and smiled at Cagalli as she took out a pendant from her neck. "I wanna tell you a little secret, okay, Karrie?" She slipped the pendant around Karin's neck as the girl beamed at the present. "Do you know why you don't have a middle name Leon does?"_

Because you love Leon more than you love me. _Karin thought. But she was wrong. "It's because, Karin, it's a secret middle name!" Karin's eyes widened. She loved secrets._

"_Just between you and me, Karin, our little secret, our own little password. Your secret middle name is the same as mine!"_

_Karin's eyes widened even more. "Yula! That's your middle name!" _

"_And yours too. Remember that and don't tell anyone at all," Cagalli gave Karin a hug and a kiss and went off to the Orb head quarters _(The Big Building)_ with Athrun and Leon in their Land Rover._

_That was the last time Karin ever saw them. Ever._

_**End flashback.**_

Karin picked up the box and turned the combination lock. Y…U…L…A.

It opened in her lap ever so easily.

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What do you think? If it sucks, tell me. It will make me better and improve the story! 

Oh yah, to: **Bad, **who said:

**dude, gundam at 13?  
ya right**

uhm well... its the future, right? Well, come to think of it, it does sound pretty young to own a Gundam but if Cagalli can be an Orb Representative at the age of 18 then why not a Gundam at 13? It's just a matter of how you see it, _dude_. :)


	3. Shock

Sorrysorrysorrysorry. For the late update! My parents took away my laptop and well.. naturally half the chappie was inside so i couldn't finish it. I swear that the later chappies will be better! Read and review, please! XD

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Chapter 3- Shock

Karin picked up the box and turned the combination lock.

Y…U…L…A.

It opened in her lap ever so easily. She looked up at The Guy, who had made himself comfortable by sitting down on the sofa opposite her bed.

"Look inside!" He urged her, and went over to her bed, where she was sitting.

Karin peered into the box. It had many photos in it. Somehow, she didn't feel like looking at the photos at all. _Did my parents knew that they were going to die? Is that why that made this for me?_

"Any doubts, princess?" Karin's head jolted up.

"What did you call me?"

"Nothing," Karin rolled her eyes and took the photo right at the top. _If they knew that they were going to die on that day, then why did they take Leon along with them? Did they want to kill him too? Or did they forget? But they didn't… mum gave me the password on that very day…_ Karin shook her head. How…?

"Uhm… how may I address you?"

The Guy smiled at her. "Just call me sir,"

Karin raised an eyebrow. "Sir. Right," She looked over at the photos. "So, _Sir_, did my parents know that they were going to die?"

Sir looked up at the ceiling. "No. Your father gave this to me months before he died. He was worried that if he died, and if you were passed to Lacus and Kira, you might not know your past well, for they might not tell you,"

Karin turned her attention to the photo in her hand. It was a picture of her fifth birthday. "But if dad gave you this… box months before he died, then why is there a picture of my fifth birthday here? Because you see, my 5th birthday happened two days before… before um they um passed on…"

Sir considered this for a moment. "Well. That's very smart. Your parents kept on giving me photos to add into the collection. This photo was given to me by your mother a day before they died,"

Karin wiped the tears from her eyes and grasped her pendant, the last present from her mother. She had hoped for a better answer, like the fact that they were actually alive and kicking… but if they were, why was she with Kira and Lacus? She would've been with her family if they did survive. But what she said was, "Uhm… right,"

For one whole hour they went through photos, until they came to one which really caught Karin's attention. It was a photo of her parents, with a baby her in her mother's arms. Both Athrun and Cagalli were wearing ORB uniforms, looking extremely solemn. On Athrun's chest was a tag that bore the words 'Chairman Zala'. While on Cagalli's chest was a tag with the words 'Head Representative Zala'.

"But… how?" Karin knew that her parents were important people in Orb, but she didn't know that they were _that_ important. All she knew about them was that they lived in Orb, and worked for Orb since the end of the second war. And she thought that the positions they held there was maybe, Lieutenenant or even Major. But not Chairman and Head Representative. "How on earth can my parents be Chairman and Head Representative of Orb when I… when I am working for ZAFT? Surely Lacus and Kira would've objected to that!"

"I see Miss Clyne does keep a lot of secrets from you, right?"

Karin groaned. _Of course. Duh, Lacus keeps a millions things from me. _She rolled her eyes. "Duh,"

"Then it's time you learned the truth, Karin," He took out a photo from his jacket. "This is your parents after the war of Jacin Due, in C.E 71. They were 16 at that time. And well, at that time… your mother was in Orb, for her father, Ambassador Uzumi Nara Attha, was one of the representatives of Orb, therefore, she is, something like the Princess of Orb, like you,"

"What? I am the Princess or Orb?" Karin stood up, her eyes burning with a mixture of fear and anger. "Then why am I in ZAFT? I mean, isn't it stupid?"

"Karin! I haven't finished my sentence yet!" Sir searched his mind. "Your father, however, was the son of the former Chairman of ZAFT. He was the pilot of the Aegis and the Justice at that time. So that makes him the Prince of ZAFT, right?"

Karin huffed. "What a match… the prince and his princess!"

"I'm not done yet!" Karin kept quiet. "His father died in the first war, leaving a will stating that he left the position of Chairman to your father,"

"But dad turned it down, right?"

"Yes, for when he did find out, he had already agreed to be the Chairman of Orb. He left his position to his close friend, Yzak Joule,"

"So what does that make me?" Karin sat down once again. "Am I betraying my country or not?"

"I don't know. But your father's decision caused a huge stir in ZAFT, and that caused the bombing of the Orb head quarters, which caused your parent's death," Sir noticed Karin's pissed face. "And your brother's as well, sorry."

"So… let me repeat what you said. My mum is Head Representative Zala, Princess of Orb, daughter of the late Ambassador Attha. And my dad is Chairman Zala, former Prince of ZAFT, supposed to be Chairman of ZAFT, former pilot of Aegis and Justice. And my father's decision to be the Chairman of Orb and not that of ZAFT was the cause of their death," She held her head. "Oww… brain pain. That's a lot to accept and digest,"

"But that's the truth. I am just here to tell you all that Mr and Mrs Yamato did not,"

Karin looked up at him. "Who are you, really?"

Sir chuckled. "I am your father's good friend back when we were teenagers, in ZAFT,"

Karin rolled her eyes for the millionth time. "I meant your bloody NAME!"

"Hah. That's for-"

Karin held up a hand to stop him. "For you to know and for me to find out, yeah, right," She tossed a few photos of her family and her at the beach, zoo, park, etc, and came across one of the last.

It was a picture of her parents, in their early twenties, in a hospital. Cagalli had two babies in her arms, and Athrun was beaming, his hand around her.

But… the babies… one was a blonde, and obviously sleeping, for she had her eyes closed. _That's me…_ Karin thought. And the other baby… it was wide awake, staring straight ahead, its green eyes wide with curiosity, it had midnight blue hair which barely covered its head. _Who on PLANT is that?_ Karin looked at the picture closer, and tapped Sir's shoulder, who was looking at the other photos.

"Do you have any idea who this is?" She pointed at the baby with the midnight blue hair. Sir shook his head, and turned the photo around, they saw a note, written in Athrun's neat handwriting.

_Karin,_

_I am sure that you have many questions about this photo, and rest assured your mother and I have the answers, but just in case we are not with you at the time you are reading this, well, just read on._

_This picture was taken the day you were born. You see, Karrie, you have a twin brother, who was kidnapped from the hospital the following day. His name is Ren, but I doubt that the kidnappers call him that, let alone let him live. He might be dead, I don't know. Your mother and I tried to search for him a million times but we never got close to finding him. _

_We never told you as we are afraid you might not understand, being so young. Karin, you must promise your mother and I not to go out and look for Ren, even though there is a chance that he might be alive, for if he is dead there will be no point to it at all._

_Please, promise us that._

_Love, _

_Daddy_

Karin shook her head. "A twin? Ren Zala? But… how could it be?"

Sir looked sternly at her. "Karin, you must never go out to search for him, like your father wrote, he might not even have his real name is he is alive. And besides, he is most likely to be on Earth, for that's where you were born," He looked at his watch. "I've got to be going,"

Karin stood up. "You haven't told me about my parents yet!"

"I already have,"

"That was a mere SCRATCH about my parents! You asshole! You think I can get this freaking answers from that…that Lacus and Kira? To hell with them! Why… Kira can't even bloody look at me without crying! He hates me for being the reflection of my mum… with my dad's eyes! But does he think I can change my bloody face?"

"KARIN! I'll tell you another time… okay? But right now, I have to go,"

Karin kept silent, and she didn't even bother to wipe the tears that were escaping from her eyes. She went to the door. "GO! Go then! Go to whoever…"

"I have a family, just like you. But… my family is alive…"

"Yah? Well… go and spend time with them! Goodbye!" She stood at the doorway, not wanting to slam the door in his face.

"Don't try to find your brother, okay?"

Karin's green eyes flashed angrily, and she pressed the button to shut the door. The door slid shut, leaving her alone. She sat on the sofa, looking through the photos again. She smiled at the pictures of when she was still an only child, when all the attention went to her and her only.

She had an idea and went over to her table and took out a pack of Blu-tack. She spent the whole night pasting up photos and more photos all over her room. When she was done, she collapsed on the bed, sighing and stared at her handiwork. Then, she fell asleep, with the light still on and with one hand on Cagalli's pendant… and a smile on her face.

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Uhm... the chapter is a bit... flawed, don't you think? Oh well next chapter... chapter 4- Dinner with the Yamatos. I swear it won't take as long as this one did! R&R, people! Thanx! 


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